There are many applications for automatic feeder systems. Some of these applications include: wildlife feeders, fish feeders, bird feeders, livestock feeders, etc. Automatic feeder systems allow a user to distribute feed such as corn, dog food, fish food, etc., at certain intervals during a day, night, week, etc., or any combination thereof. These systems allow animals to be fed on a regular basis and with a regulated quantity of food without the need for a person to distribute the food.
There are various types of feeders that accomplish this task. Most consist of a food storage device (typically a barrel or bucket) and a distribution device attached to the storage device. The distribution device usually consists of an electrical circuit, a motor, and a spreading or throwing mechanism. The electrical circuit controls when and how long the feed is distributed. The motor, when actuated by the electrical circuit, turns the spreading/throwing mechanism which distributes the feed onto the ground or in the water. Another type of feeder also utilizes a storage device but does not use an electrical circuit or spreading/throwing device. In this case the animal can either nudge the feed out of the storage device and onto the ground or the animal can feed directly from the storage device.
A major drawback to prior art automatic feeders is the required maintenance of the feeder. Most prior art feeders with electrical distribution circuits utilize batteries or solar cells/solar panels or a combination of both battery and solar to power the feeder's electrical circuit and spreading/throwing mechanism. The batteries are a major cause of failure and maintenance. A feeder that uses only batteries without a solar charging device will require the end user to periodically charge the battery. Depending on the duty of the feeder, the user may have to recharge the battery anywhere from daily to yearly. A feeder that uses solar cells/solar panel(s) along with a battery typically requires less maintenance since the solar energy is used to charge the battery during the day and the battery powers the electrical circuit at night. This cycle keeps the battery from completely discharging, eliminating user charging maintenance. However, the physical properties of batteries are such that the battery is typically limited to several hundred recharging cycles. The number of recharging cycles is negatively affected by variations of the ambient temperature surrounding the batteries. Most automatic feeders are used in an outdoor environment where the batteries are exposed to extreme cold and hot conditions. As a result, the batteries typically reach an early end of life ranging from days to several years depending on their usage and environmental surroundings.